The BastionThe Bastionhttp://www.theapiary.org/thebastion/2010-05-14T00:40:46ZSquarespaceThe Bastion Says Goodbye!http://www.theapiary.org/thebastion/2008/9/5/the-bastion-says-goodbye.htmlThe Apiary2008-09-05T15:00:00Z2008-09-05T15:00:00ZWe promised ourselves we weren't going to cry...
Thanks for a wild and wonderful two years of blogging and Chicago comedy shenanigans.
This fanblog has been a labor of love and a marvelous experience but, gratefully, life has offered us so many exciting new opportunities that we can no longer spare the hours of work involved in keeping the Bastion up and running. (Related press release here.)
The two primary contributors to this site, editor Elizabeth McQuern, and writer KristyMangel, will continue to document their Chicago comedy adventures through writing, photos and videos at their personal blogs, and elsewhere online.
Thanks to all the friends we've made, and to our contributing writers and photographers, for all the laughs we've shared, and for this opportunity to develop our own creative skills. We will always appreciate our Big Poppa Nate at New York's Apiary for trusting us with the creation and nurturing of the Chicago branch of his comedy empire.
And a special message for those of you who been reading from the sidelines and thinking about doing comedy: DO IT. Take a class at Second City, iO, ComedySportz, or the Annoyance. Go to stand-up open mics. Go see sketch and improv shows. Read the AST board. Find each other. You need comedy, and comedy needs you.
Edit - 9-29-08 - A collection of the online tributes to the Bastion here. Special thanks to Time Out Chicago for including us in their Cultural Heroes issue with "Caching out: The Bastion leaves a legacy of indecision—and a model for action."
]]>Bonus Video Fridayhttp://www.theapiary.org/thebastion/2008/9/5/bonus-video-friday.htmlThe Apiary2008-09-05T14:00:00Z2008-09-05T14:00:00Z
Non-Traditional Athlete Andrew "Cannonball" DeWitt Meets Non-Traditional Olympic Trainer Bryan Bowden:
Schadenfreuede for Chicago 2016: Ready in 8 Years for a Gymnastics Career!:
(Jim Tews) The Opener - Jimmy Dore
Sexy Jesus Takes Chicago!
Impress These Apes: Chicago's fall trends:
Teenager of the Year - Job Interview:
]]>"The Office" Spec Script Readings at the Lakeshore Theaterhttp://www.theapiary.org/thebastion/2008/9/5/the-office-spec-script-readings-at-the-lakeshore-theater.htmlThe Apiary2008-09-05T13:00:00Z2008-09-05T13:00:00ZThe Lakeshore Theater hosted a live spec script reading on Wednesday August 27, 2008. Todd Edwards and Dan Telfer both wrote spec scripts for The Office. It’s pretty much the coolest thing ever that the LST gave these talented writers such a high profile venue for a reading. It made us think a lot about the spec writing process and what the process entails. We know that both writers completed their scripts after taking the Level 3 writing class at iO with Michael McCarthy. McCarthy had to return to LA to work on a pilot of his own and now his mentor Nate Herman is teaching the class. Photos by Bryan Bowden. Interview by Rachael Mason, who performs improv, works at iO and is the Chicago Comedy Examiner.
1. Why did you pick the spec you wrote?
TODD EDWARDS (TE)- Week one, Mike McCarthy, told us that we were to spec a currently running, half an hour sitcom. He said we should know this sitcom fairly well. I took this to mean watch on a weekly basis. But other people might have interpreted know the sitcom fairly well differently. So for me the Office was the only show that fit the parameters given by Mike. So picking the Office was an easy decision. If I remember correctly 12 people in our class of 30 also picked the Office. The second most popular was 30 Rock. Dan even asked a question regarding this in our first class, before people even began to pick our spec, if everyone doing the same two shows was an issue. He said no, but a lot of people are specing 30 Rock and the Office, so yours will really need to be good. So, somewhere around 10 people did 30 Rock. Another 5 people did "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." There was a "South Park", "Til' Death", and a "How I Met Your Mother."
DAN TELFER (DT)- I watch a lot of TV, but not that many sitcoms. The Office was one of only a couple I watch regularly, and I thought I knew those characters' voices best.
2. How did you luck in to the LST as a venue for your lowly reading?TE- That was all Dan, he had a relationship with them through prior gigs. We looked at Beat Kitchen, and Uncommon Ground on Devon as well. I lucked into being paired with Dan because Mike randomly assigned to read our specs the same night, Aug 28 at iO. I was to read at 7:00 and Dan at 7:45. iO eventually decided to move the readings to an earlier time, which we thought would not work for us. Thus the decision to move to another venue.
DT- They've been kind enough to let me do a lot of stand-up there, and I had just found out I could open for one of my favorite stand-ups ever, Maria Bamford, at the Lakeshore in December. I felt like my luck there was good, so I approached them. It turned out they had wanted to do more and more non-traditional comedy shows there, and so they were very supportive of the idea.
3. What was the purpose of doing your reading?
TE- I think it was threefold. 1). It gave me a deadline; I knew I had to finish the spec for the reading. 2). After spending so much time on it, it was nice to hear where people laughed. Some throw away lines got big reactions. Other parts that I thought were funny didn't land. So it was nice to take notes and gauge reactions. So to answer the question put another set of ears on my spec. 3). Finally, to determine if my writing translated when it was performed.
DT- Readings serve to get you some attention from the entertainment writing industry (much easier in other cities where those people exist) but also to hone your script. I got some awesome feedback in the form of a pile of comment cards, but the best part was hearing a live audience react to the script.
4. Was it helpful to your process?
TE- Immeasurably. First, it made me finish. I don't think I would have if it weren’t for the reading. Also, the feedback. Now it's a matter a making it better.
DT- Absolutely. My cast was so good that when something fell a little flat, it was clearly a conceptual or dialogue problem, not an acting one. It's the kind of observations that are hard to make when you are simply showing the text to people for feedback.
]]>A Chat With Paul O'Toolehttp://www.theapiary.org/thebastion/2008/9/5/a-chat-with-paul-otoole.htmlThe Apiary2008-09-05T12:00:00Z2008-09-05T12:00:00ZHey writing nerds! Pull up a squeaky computer desk chair and check this out. Ever wondered how you actually go about landing work as a comedy (or other) writer in L.A.? So have we. So when we found out that Chicago-based writer, actor and comedian Paul O'Toole just got back from writing for an animated sketch pilot for the G4 Network in L.A., we bugged him with a bunch of questions about spec scripts, marketing yourself as a writer, and getting some eyeballs on your funniest work. He gave us all that and recommendations for a couple of really great established Hollywood writers' blogs as well. Interview by Elizabeth McQuern.What show did you spec? How did you decide which show to base it on?
Before I begin, I want to iterate that I'm not an expert on this stuff. I was lucky enough to get a toenail in the door, and I've learned some useful things I'm happy to share.
I wrote my first spec on IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA. The decision for me was easy. SUNNY is one of my favorite shows, but more importantly, the show's comedic sensibilities are in line with my own. It helps to pick a show you can actually write. It's one thing to like a show, but it's another to be able to emulate it. We all have comedic strengths. Our specs should showcase them. You might love 30 ROCK, but if you can't nail the essence of the show (and you must nail it!), you gotta pick another show.
It's important to note I was lucky in picking SUNNY, because I wasn't aware of a lot of the following at the time, like...
It's best to spec a show that hasn't been on the air forever. No one wants to read another SIMPSONS spec. On that note, I have to imagine the window is closing on THE OFFICE. There are thousands of OFFICE specs out there. It also helps to pick a show that industry people like. SUNNY isn't the most popular show in America, but it's very popular among industry types, probably because it breaks so many rules. So many sitcoms are interchangeable. However, the episode of SUNNY where the guys go to an abortion rally to pick up women... it's just so refreshing! Industry people who eat and breathe comedy want to be refreshed. They've seen it all at this point.
So in sum. Spec a show you like, a show you can actually write, and a show other people would actually would want to read. Oh, and this may be obvious, but the show has to be in production.
]]>Thursday Tidbitshttp://www.theapiary.org/thebastion/2008/9/4/thursday-tidbits.htmlThe Apiary2008-09-04T14:00:00Z2008-09-04T14:00:00ZSome of you fellow nerds may already be squealingly aware of this, but we're going to tell you anyway: as reported here by the Chicago Comedy Examiner, the guys behind Mystery Science Theater 3000 are coming to the Lakeshore Theater for a live show. Show creator Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu (Crow), and J. Elvis Weinstein (Tom Servo), Mary Jo Pehl (Pearl Forrester) and Frank Conniff (TV’s Frank) will riff live onstage December 18-20 with "Cinematic Titanic."
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that, aside from shooting a beam of subatomic matter into the most powerful particle accelerator ever in existence, physicists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (more commonly known as CERN) are taking group improv lessons, so they can "think creatively about some of the toughest questions of physics, such as why gravity is so much weaker than the other fundamental forces, and why 95% of the universe seems to be missing." Who knew improv had such practical applications?
Andy Dick has been calling iO looking for "his L.A. friends," and talking about his recent tenth stint in rehab, confusing the interns who answer the phones there.
Time Out Chicago likes the guys behind sketch group Kerpatty, notably "Pat Dwyer’s unflappable physical comedy." They also agree with us that Sarah Haskins is awesome, and are equally enthused about the upcoming third season of Impress These Apes at the Lakeshore Theater.
-Elizabeth McQuern
]]>Wednesday Afternoon Photo Posthttp://www.theapiary.org/thebastion/2008/9/3/wednesday-afternoon-photo-post.htmlThe Apiary2008-09-03T12:30:00Z2008-09-03T12:30:00ZBBX 100th Show, photos by The Beatbox:
Dan Polydoris at Blewtenanny, photo by Bryan Bowden.
Globe Pub open mic, pix by Bryan Bowden:
-Elizabeth McQuern
]]>New Video Tuesday!http://www.theapiary.org/thebastion/2008/9/2/new-video-tuesday.htmlThe Apiary2008-09-02T11:30:00Z2008-09-02T11:30:00Z"Trippin or Stylin."
Jason Fever at Angel Busque's Farewell Show, 8-23-08 at the Lincoln Lodge:
Ricky Carmona at Angel Busque's Farewell Show, 8-23-08 at the Lincoln Lodge:
Scotty Got an Office Job Episode 12:
The Bonnie Hunt Show -- "Do You Know Me?"
The Bonnie Hunt Show -- "George Clooney"
Ask Jason Piazza: Acting!
The Opener (Jim Tews)- Respect My Genius:
"Leaked" MADtv Matt Braunger Video:
Edited to add: we got an email from Lincoln Lodge producer Mark Geary about these next clips, of him performing stand-up on his 40th birthday. Geary said: "What I'm really looking for is at least 10 comments on the clips saying 'U R soooooo gay!' by the end of the week so I can really be a part of the whole Youtube experience." So get to it!
(Part one)
(Part two)
-Elizabeth McQuern
]]>Friday Free-For-Allhttp://www.theapiary.org/thebastion/2008/8/29/friday-free-for-all.htmlThe Apiary2008-08-29T17:00:00Z2008-08-29T17:00:00ZWolfenFlickr? Your Flickr pictures on the walls of a Wolfenstein game? Oh, yes. It is as fun as it sounds. Although it can be little weird to see your grandma eating corn on the cob at a family picnic...on a Nazi castle wall.
Roger Ebert didn't hesitate to call outgoing Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist Jay Mariotti a jerk, and we commend him. Mariotti took a trip to Beijing on his employer's dime, shortly after signing a new 3 year contract, made the brilliant realization that newspapers are dead and the future of news is on the internet (...don't newspapers have websites?), and promptly quit. Mariotti has long been understood to be a raging egoist, a critical crank who doesn't seem to have any love for his subject, and generally a clueless pain in the ass. White Sox response to his quitting: "it's about time." Readers of the Sun-Times response: "happiest day of my life, (etc). Ebert's summary: "...On your way out, don't let the door bang you on the ass." Sometimes calling an jerkass a jerkass just feels so right.
Gentle reminder: Are you going out to shows this weekend? Take your camera. Take pictures. Put them in the Bastion Flickr pool. We do a photo post every week and since we can't be everywhere, we would love to have more contributions from you. (Not to mention, make videos. And send us links. And, blog. We peek through your online rumblings and pull out the fun stuff. If your blog isn't listed on the right hand side of this page, email us the link, and we'll put it up.)
Have a great weekend, everyone!
-Elizabeth McQuern
]]>More Chicago Comedy in New York: "Refugee Girls" at Fringehttp://www.theapiary.org/thebastion/2008/8/29/more-chicago-comedy-in-new-york-refugee-girls-at-fringe.htmlThe Apiary2008-08-29T13:30:00Z2008-08-29T13:30:00ZJena Friedman's Refugee Girls musical parody is off to a good start in New York, having debuted at the New York Fringe Festival. The show got severalstrongreviews, who call the cast "fearless and funny women." Friedman's cast includes Lauren Van Kurin, Kate Lane, Teresa Spizzirri, Missi Davis, Fawzia Mirza, Marie Denny, Tiffany Puterbaugh (for the Lakeshore run), Ruth Gamble, Jasmine McNeeley, Cara Hawthorne, Lauren Maul, and Dave Hill.
Jena tells the Bastion: "I came up with the idea for Refugee Girls after reading a story in the Chicago Tribune on the backlash to the new American Girl doll, whose controversial 'backstory' (where she 'fled her dangerous neighborhood of Pilsen and moved to Downers Grove') offended the local Pilsen community... at the time I was writing for a political sketch show and decided to push that idea further. The show's initial run (June-Aug 2007) kind of functioned like a workshop, and in the second run, we brought on an outside director, Scott Illingworth, who helped focus the tone of the show. We also revised the show's ending and much of the choreography to further heighten that tone."
Getting a cast of 12 actors from Chicago to New York proved a challenge but all agree they had a great run at Fringe and Jena is hoping to find future stages for her show.
]]>Today in the Chicago Comedy Blogospherehttp://www.theapiary.org/thebastion/2008/8/28/today-in-the-chicago-comedy-blogosphere.htmlThe Apiary2008-08-28T12:30:00Z2008-08-28T12:30:00ZMike Stanley had a great time at his Lakeshore Theater stand-up album taping:
"The lights were so bright in the venue, so Joe and the crew could get crowd shots, I could literally see every single persons face. I remember at one point thinking "Oh sweet , There's Joe and Dean alright, There's Briggs and Frits Okay… There's Sturdy…There's Ape ,There's Chuck Roth…Holy Shit I can see every single person in the room right now…Don't bomb you sweaty headed tit!..."
and is still considering the album title possibilities:
"It will probably take a few months of post production before we see any solid results from the taping. I still need to name it. I'm thinking " the Stan in Black" or "Tid bits from a perv"."
Matt Braunger is settling into his new job in the cast of MADtv:
"I'm freaking out, man. Kind of. Gotta learn these lines, gotta try to act like the famous person I'm impersonating. There was a time a long time ago when I thought I was great at impressions. I also thought my English accent was great. I was also ten...So far so good at Mad TV. I've gotten two sketches into circulation and the stuff we've shot has been hilarious. It's a lot of work but definitely the most fun job I've ever had. Even more fun than when I used to rope clowns on the circus ranch. And that was amazing. Wild, free range clowns in all directions. The way they'd run when you'd come tearing out of the barn on horseback. Some of the full grown ones can somersault as fast as you or I can run. What an amazing summer."
Paul O'Toole has also been spending time in L.A., and his reward for landing his first showbiz writing gig? Surviving his first earthquake:
"I feel like a bona fide Angeleno. I survived an earthquake. When the building started shaking at 11:45 this morning, I was the first to jump up from the table and stand in the doorway. One of the other writers joined me quickly, but the rest of the room was too cool take precautionary measures. And yes, I was a little nervous when it hit. However, I’m a fan of the odds, and in the realm of catastrophe I rely on the odds to keep me calm. What are the odds the Big One hits while I’m in LA? Slim. What are the odds this particular quake even is the Big One? Also slim."
Team Submarine wants to help their cousin put her new band together:
"Hey everyone - I’m posting this on behalf of my cousin Velour. She’s starting an all-girl punk band and is looking for members! They are called Savage Vag and they totally rock. You may have heard some of her previous bands, such as the popular mid-90’s all-girl ska band The Fallopian Tubas. And prior to that she played guitar in the folk duo Simon & Garfemale. There was also her experimental phase with Chumbawomba, but that’s all in the past. Now she’s turning over a new leaf with Savage Vag and is ready to rock. She just needs band members! SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY!"
-Elizabeth McQuern
]]>
We promised ourselves we weren't going to cry...
Thanks for a wild and wonderful two years of blogging and Chicago comedy shenanigans.
This fanblog has been a labor of love and a marvelous experience but, gratefully, life has offered us so many exciting new opportunities that we can no longer spare the hours of work involved in keeping the Bastion up and running. (Related press release here.)
The two primary contributors to this site, editor Elizabeth McQuern, and writer Kristy Mangel, will continue to document their Chicago comedy adventures through writing, photos and videos at their personal blogs, and elsewhere online.
Thanks to all the friends we've made, and to our contributing writers and photographers, for all the laughs we've shared, and for this opportunity to develop our own creative skills. We will always appreciate our Big Poppa Nate at New York's Apiary for trusting us with the creation and nurturing of the Chicago branch of his comedy empire.
And a special message for those of you who been reading from the sidelines and thinking about doing comedy: DO IT. Take a class at Second City, iO, ComedySportz, or the Annoyance. Go to stand-up open mics. Go see sketch and improv shows. Read the AST board. Find each other. You need comedy, and comedy needs you.
Edit - 9-29-08 - A collection of the online tributes to the Bastion here. Special thanks to Time Out Chicago for including us in their Cultural Heroes issue with "Caching out: The Bastion leaves a legacy of indecision—and a model for action."
]]>
Hey writing nerds! Pull up a squeaky computer desk chair and check this out. Ever wondered how you actually go about landing work as a comedy (or other) writer in L.A.? So have we. So when we found out that Chicago-based writer, actor and comedian Paul O'Toole just got back from writing for an animated sketch pilot for the G4 Network in L.A., we bugged him with a bunch of questions about spec scripts, marketing yourself as a writer, and getting some eyeballs on your funniest work. He gave us all that and recommendations for a couple of really great established Hollywood writers' blogs as well. Interview by Elizabeth McQuern.
What show did you spec? How did you decide which show to base it on?
Before I begin, I want to iterate that I'm not an expert on this stuff. I was lucky enough to get a toenail in the door, and I've learned some useful things I'm happy to share.
I wrote my first spec on IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA. The decision for me was easy. SUNNY is one of my favorite shows, but more importantly, the show's comedic sensibilities are in line with my own. It helps to pick a show you can actually write. It's one thing to like a show, but it's another to be able to emulate it. We all have comedic strengths. Our specs should showcase them. You might love 30 ROCK, but if you can't nail the essence of the show (and you must nail it!), you gotta pick another show.
It's important to note I was lucky in picking SUNNY, because I wasn't aware of a lot of the following at the time, like...
It's best to spec a show that hasn't been on the air forever. No one wants to read another SIMPSONS spec. On that note, I have to imagine the window is closing on THE OFFICE. There are thousands of OFFICE specs out there. It also helps to pick a show that industry people like. SUNNY isn't the most popular show in America, but it's very popular among industry types, probably because it breaks so many rules. So many sitcoms are interchangeable. However, the episode of SUNNY where the guys go to an abortion rally to pick up women... it's just so refreshing! Industry people who eat and breathe comedy want to be refreshed. They've seen it all at this point.
So in sum. Spec a show you like, a show you can actually write, and a show other people would actually would want to read. Oh, and this may be obvious, but the show has to be in production.
]]>
Time Out Chicago likes the guys behind sketch group Kerpatty, notably "Pat Dwyer’s unflappable physical comedy." They also agree with us that Sarah Haskins is awesome, and are equally enthused about the upcoming third season of Impress These Apes at the Lakeshore Theater.
-Elizabeth McQuern
]]>
Roger Ebert didn't hesitate to call outgoing Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist Jay Mariotti a jerk, and we commend him. Mariotti took a trip to Beijing on his employer's dime, shortly after signing a new 3 year contract, made the brilliant realization that newspapers are dead and the future of news is on the internet (...don't newspapers have websites?), and promptly quit. Mariotti has long been understood to be a raging egoist, a critical crank who doesn't seem to have any love for his subject, and generally a clueless pain in the ass. White Sox response to his quitting: "it's about time." Readers of the Sun-Times response: "happiest day of my life, (etc). Ebert's summary: "...On your way out, don't let the door bang you on the ass." Sometimes calling an jerkass a jerkass just feels so right.
Gentle reminder: Are you going out to shows this weekend? Take your camera. Take pictures. Put them in the Bastion Flickr pool. We do a photo post every week and since we can't be everywhere, we would love to have more contributions from you. (Not to mention, make videos. And send us links. And, blog. We peek through your online rumblings and pull out the fun stuff. If your blog isn't listed on the right hand side of this page, email us the link, and we'll put it up.)
Have a great weekend, everyone!
-Elizabeth McQuern
]]>
Mike Stanley had a great time at his Lakeshore Theater stand-up album taping:
"The lights were so bright in the venue, so Joe and the crew could get crowd shots, I could literally see every single persons face. I remember at one point thinking "Oh sweet , There's Joe and Dean alright, There's Briggs and Frits Okay… There's Sturdy…There's Ape ,There's Chuck Roth…Holy Shit I can see every single person in the room right now…Don't bomb you sweaty headed tit!..."
and is still considering the album title possibilities:
"It will probably take a few months of post production before we see any solid results from the taping. I still need to name it. I'm thinking " the Stan in Black" or "Tid bits from a perv"."
Matt Braunger is settling into his new job in the cast of MADtv:
"I'm freaking out, man. Kind of. Gotta learn these lines, gotta try to act like the famous person I'm impersonating. There was a time a long time ago when I thought I was great at impressions. I also thought my English accent was great. I was also ten...So far so good at Mad TV. I've gotten two sketches into circulation and the stuff we've shot has been hilarious. It's a lot of work but definitely the most fun job I've ever had. Even more fun than when I used to rope clowns on the circus ranch. And that was amazing. Wild, free range clowns in all directions. The way they'd run when you'd come tearing out of the barn on horseback. Some of the full grown ones can somersault as fast as you or I can run. What an amazing summer."
Paul O'Toole has also been spending time in L.A., and his reward for landing his first showbiz writing gig? Surviving his first earthquake:
"I feel like a bona fide Angeleno. I survived an earthquake. When the building started shaking at 11:45 this morning, I was the first to jump up from the table and stand in the doorway. One of the other writers joined me quickly, but the rest of the room was too cool take precautionary measures. And yes, I was a little nervous when it hit. However, I’m a fan of the odds, and in the realm of catastrophe I rely on the odds to keep me calm. What are the odds the Big One hits while I’m in LA? Slim. What are the odds this particular quake even is the Big One? Also slim."
Team Submarine wants to help their cousin put her new band together:
"Hey everyone - I’m posting this on behalf of my cousin Velour. She’s starting an all-girl punk band and is looking for members! They are called Savage Vag and they totally rock. You may have heard some of her previous bands, such as the popular mid-90’s all-girl ska band The Fallopian Tubas. And prior to that she played guitar in the folk duo Simon & Garfemale. There was also her experimental phase with Chumbawomba, but that’s all in the past. Now she’s turning over a new leaf with Savage Vag and is ready to rock. She just needs band members! SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY!"
-Elizabeth McQuern
]]>